Continuing research shows that pregnant women can benefit from safe exercise if they follow certain guidelines. A doctor's checkup and authorization is required and can help determine what exercise program is right for both the mother as well as the baby. Safety is of paramount importance.

The participant should always maintain control of the body. Movements should be made slowly. Throughout your entire pregnancy maintain a neutral spine position. Exercising during pregnancy will make the workload harder. The participant should not try to maintain the same performance as before. As the pregnancy advances, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain the same workload. Allow the workload to decrease in intensity and duration. The participant should listen to their body and be aware. During pregnancy, the center of gravity, body alignment and balance decreases, joints loosen and may become unstable. Keep moves limited to low impact, basic moves avoiding fast directional changes. Weights and rubber tubing are not recommended for the pregnant class participant.

Getting Pregnant

Did you know that a woman's chance of getting pregnant at any particular time is only about 20%? Most gynecologists say that women can still get pregnant within one year, but there are a few "tricks of the trade" that may help speed conception:

1. Track the monthly cycle. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a woman is most likely to conceive on the day of actual ovulation and the five days that precede ovulation. A woman usually ovulates on the fourteenth day of her cycle, so conception attempts are best tried between the 9th and 14th day. Her temperature will rise slightly during ovulation, so this is another point to check. Remember that the first day of the cycle is the first day of actual bleeding.

2. Don't douche. Douching, or internally cleansing the vagina with liquid (usually in a vinegar-based solution), even occasionally, can cut a woman's chance for conception by up to 50%, according to doctors at the University of Washington in Seattle. Good bacteria naturally cleanse the woman's vaginal area, as does her monthly cycle.

3. Drink caffeinated tea. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health reported that women who drank 4 ounces or more of caffeinated tea each day increased their chances of conception by up to 200%!

4. Elevate your hips. After ejaculation, placing a fluffy pillow under the woman's hips and having her hold this position for 30-40 minutes give the sperm a better chance of reaching the ovum (egg) with the help of gravity.

Though these methods do not guarantee conception, they have been known to help significantly increase your chances.

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Skin Problems of Pregnancy

A rosy glow is not all that happens to a pregnant woman's skin. She might also have to deal with bumps, blotches, masks, and rashes.

"You are positively glowing! You must be pregnant!" In real life, expectant moms rarely hear these words from kind strangers.

In fact, only a few very lucky women can list radiance as the only dermatological trait they experience during pregnancy. The vast majority of expectant moms have to put up with dark blotches on the skin, hair growth in unusual areas, thinning hair on their head, rashes, acne, stretch marks, brittle or splitting nails, and worsening of existing skin conditions.

"Pregnant women often do get the rosy glow, but they also get a lot of other things," says David Leffel, MD, professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. and author of Total Skin.

"When you are pregnant, your body produces an enormous amount of growth factors and has a higher blood flow going through it, so you do get a rosy glow because of increased blood flow to the skin, but that increased blood flow can also lead to broken blood vessels known as spider angiomas," he says.

"The body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy including hormonal fluctuations that can affect the skin, the hair, and the nails," agrees George Kroumpouzos, MD, PhD, a dermatologist at South Shore Medical Center in Norwell, Mass. and the co-author of "Dermatoses of Pregnancy," which appeared in the July 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

"If they are concerned about something on their skin, their hair, or nails during pregnancy, pregnant women should see a dermatologist and see if anything needs to be treated," Kroumpouzos says.

Here's the lowdown on what to expect when you are expecting, skin-wise:

Acne

If you thought your days of breaking out ended with your senior prom, think again, says Bruce E. Katz, MD, medical director of the Juva Skin and Laser Center and an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, both in New York.

"The biggest problem pregnant women have is that their acne gets worse," says Katz, also director of the Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Clinic at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. "They will break out on their face, chest, or back."

On the flip side, some women actually report their acne gets better with pregnancy, he tells WebMD. "Acne is a hormonally-driven condition, which is why some women take oral contraceptives to clear up their complexion, so it makes sense that hormone fluctuations during pregnancy would affect acne," he says.

In addition, oil glands respond to androgen, the male sex hormone that increases during pregnancy, too. This causes the oil glands to produce large quantities of oil called sebum, which clogs the opening of the oil gland and results in a "blackhead."

But don't panic, your skin will most likely clear up after pregnancy. "If breakouts are severe while pregnant, there are certain safe medicines we can use during pregnancy including topical antibiotics," he says.

"Cleansing daily with an over-the-counter cleanser that contains alpha-hydroxy acid can also keep breakouts to a minimum," he says.

Spider Woman?

Spider angiomas are collections of tiny dilated blood vessels that usually radiate from a central point and resemble the legs of a spider. "They are thought to be related to changes in hormone levels, which is why they can come out during pregnancy," Katz says.

"Some women develop angiomas during pregnancy on their face, chest, or sometimes on the arms or the abdomen, " he says. Angiomas may clear up after pregnancy, but if not, they can be treated effectively with lasers, he says.

Stretch Marks

More than 90% of pregnant women will develop stretch marks in response to the pulling and stretching of underlying skin during pregnancy, Kroumpouzos says. Stretch marks are pink or purple bands in the stomach and sometimes on breasts or thighs.

"Exercise and use of lotions or creams with alpha-hydroxy acids can be used to prevent stretch marks from occurring," he says.

Mask of Pregnancy?

Chloasma, also known as melasma or the mask of pregnancy, occurs when the sun-exposed skin on the upper cheeks, forehead, and/or upper lip turns a tan, brownish color because excess pigment is deposited in the skin's upper layers.

"This is a similar phenomenon that occurs when women take oral contraceptives and very often it will go away after pregnancy," Leffel says. And, "in some cases, it persists and we have to try different treatments including bleaching creams or chemical peels after delivery."

It's a good idea to use sunscreen during pregnancy to prevent chloasma from occurring or to prevent existing patches from getting darker, he says.

Hair

"Three months after delivery, a lot of women lose hair on their head," Katz says. "This shedding is called telogen effluvium, but often it will grow back."

It should, however, be followed by a dermatologist to make sure there is complete re-growth, he adds.

Hirsutism, which occurs when women grow hair in typical male spots such as the lip and chin, can be triggered by the hormonal changes of pregnancy.

"It is not too severe most of the time and it's also not permanent and tends to disappear within six months of delivery," Kroumpouzos says.

Rashes

Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) is the most common skin condition of pregnancy. Women with PUPPP develop small red bumps and hives, and when severe, the bumps form large patches. This rash usually starts on the abdomen and spreads to the thighs, buttocks, breasts, and arms.

"You feel itchy everywhere during the worst and last trimester," Leffel says. However, he adds, anti-itching topical medications, antihistamines, and topical steroids can control the itching.

Nails

Nails can change during pregnancy, too, Kroumpouzos says. "Women may report splitting or rough surfaces although we are not sure exactly why this occurs," he says.

Existing Skin Conditions

Skin tags or "benign hanging things around the neck are hormonally related and tend to increase in number during pregnancy," Katz says. "We don't know why but it may be that the increased blood flow to the skin encourages the tissue to proliferate," he says.

"Skin tags increase in numbers, moles can change color slightly and so can benign tumors, scars can become noticeable -- all because the high levels of estrogen have some effect on these tissues," Kroumpouzos agrees. "They may go away or change back after delivery," he says.

"Pregnant women with certain skin diseases are more likely to experience an aggravation, or less often, an improvement in their condition," Kroumpouzos says.

For example, women with atopic dermatitis, a skin disease causing itchy, irritating skin lesions, may experience a worsening during pregnancy. In some cases, atopic dermatitis may develop for the first time during pregnancy, he says.

Psoriasis, a skin condition marked by raised, thickened patches of red skin covered with silvery-white scales, may improve during pregnancy. This improvement may be attributed to the high levels of interleukin-10 in pregnancy, a protein that is released by one cell to regulate the function of another, Kroumpouzos says.

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SOURCES: David Leffel, MD, professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., author, Total Skin. Bruce E. Katz, MD, medical director of the Juva Skin and Laser Center, associate clinical professor of dermatology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York. George Kroumpouzos, MD, PhD, dermatologist at South Shore Medical Center in Norwell, Mass.

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Now On To Exercising :)

Warm up duration should last for 10 to 15 minutes while maintaining good posture, body alignment and a neutral spine position. Heart rate checks should start at 5-minute intervals for the beginner to 10-minute intervals for the more experienced exerciser. Intensity should be limited to 60% of the maximum heart rate for beginners and to 75% for the experienced exerciser. Range of motion should be kept to shorter rather than full range movements followed by static stretches. Pay particular attention to areas such as the shoulders, neck, calves, and hip flexors. Emphasize relaxation more than extension and flexibility for the lower back.

Overhead arm stretches assist in breathing and allow the entry of more oxygen into the lungs opening up the thoracic cavity. Be careful not to over stretch. Concentrate on slow, sustained stretching. Avoid Adductor stretches as these place undue stress on the pelvic bone area. Target heart rates and ratings of perceived exertion are reached more quickly than non-pregnant women. This is not the time to challenge the cardiovascular system. Challenge the system before pregnancy to get into shape for the pregnancy.

Weight Training

In addition to your doctor's recommendations:

Give your body time to heal after the birth regardless of whether the birth was vaginal or cesarean. Some doctors say you can resume exercise after four to six weeks other say when bleeding stops. Make sure you receive clearance from your own doctor before returning.